Record: 8 wins, 14 losses, 79.5%
In 25 Words: The top eight finishes ended at Tigerland as the wheels fell off with injury and form. Questions now loom over the playing group and coach Damien Hardwick.
The Player: Dustin Martin took his game from the top end to the true elite, pushing himself into Brownlow contention with his dominance through the midfield.
The Roughie: The surname Rioli in Richmond colours again brought a smile to many, but Daniel’s first-year impact was a surprise blessing for the Tiger faithful. His skills as a small forward will allow many to wonder how good he will become once he gets a couple of years in the system.
The Win: It was a 25-second coast-to-coast effort which led to a Sam Lloyd mark. The siren blew. And from there, Lloyd got to live the boyhood dream as he slotted the goal to give Richmond a famous 1-pt win over Sydney to keep their finals hopes alive.
The Loss: Round 19 saw the Tigers travel to Canberra to face the Giants. Well, in theory they travelled, because 22 witches’ hats would have been more damaging. Failing to do any scoreboard damage, the Tigers went down by 88 points, but only scored 3.5 for the match – one of their worst performances in years.
What now?: It’s time for change at Punt Road, with board spills looming, the assistant coaches sacked and rumours of a football department restructure. On-field, the club looks to have secured Dion Prestia, with an agreement with Gold Coast to be arranged; however, questions continue to be asked about whether the Tigers will trade away one of their big names in order to secure major draft capital.
2017?: The dead cat will not bounce. Although Chris Yarran may return and there may be more injury luck, there are simply too many holes in this list, with a second key forward, a second key defender, outside users and a first ruck all major needs for Richmond. Although their top end is elite and will get them over some teams, it won’t be enough to compete for finals. 13th.
